Typhoon Damrey kills at least 27 in south Vietnam

APEC MEETING:Southern coastal provinces felt the brunt of the storm, but damage was also reported in APEC host city Da Nang and the port city of Hoi An

AFP, DA NANG, Vietnam

Residents and tourists are transported by boats yesterday through flooded streets in Hoi An, Vietnam.

Photo: AFP

At least 27 people have died and nearly two dozen are missing after Typhoon Damrey barreled into Vietnam, authorities said yesterday, damaging tens of thousands of homes and submerging highways days before the country welcomes world leaders to the APEC summit.

The storm, which made landfall on Saturday, is the worst in decades to strike the country’s southern coastal region, an area normally spared the typhoons that typically hit further north.

More than 40,000 homes were damaged as heavy rains and 130kph winds tore through the area, leaving 27 dead and 22 reported missing, according to the disaster management office.

Coastal Khanh Hoa Province, home to the popular white sand Nha Trang beach, was hardest hit with 16 dead and 10 injured, the government said.

More than 30,000 people were evacuated ahead of the latest storm in central Vietnam, including foreign tourists.